Mother of the Bride, have wedding cakes taken center stage in your wedding planning conversations with your daughter yet? When they do, not only will you be talking design, flavors, colors, frosting types, and cake stands, you’ll also be batting around ideas for cake toppers.

One simple and elegant cake topper option is to use a Willow Treecouple figurine. A Willow Tree couple topper will add beauty, romance, and the promise of commitment not only to the cake but to the festivities in general. It will also become a lasting memento and precious possession for the newlyweds.

MOB, why not share this post with your daughter and her beloved and see if it captures their hearts. You could even buy the cake topper of their choice and give it to them as one of their shower or wedding gifts. A win-win for everyone!

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

Mother of the Bride, when it comes time for your daughter and her intended to think about wedding gift options, remember that different couples will have different needs and desires. Some couples will want to register for gifts at a variety of outlets while others will select only one. Some couples are setting up housekeeping for the first time while others have already acquired many belongings.

If your sweet couple falls into the category of those who already have it all, maybe they would like to suggest that their guests give to a charity in honor of their marriage. In lieu of stating where they are registered on the wedding invitation or enclosed card, they could have a message similar to this one:

Brian and Robin have already acquired much of what they need for housekeeping. It would bring them great joy if you would give a gift in their honor to the charity of your choice and then share news of it with them in a card.

Is this something that might appeal to your daughter and soon-to-be son, MOB? If so, share the idea with them and see what happens. What a difference it could make for many!

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, comes out tomorrow. It’s not too late to receive it (though you won’t be eligible for the giveaway until the next issue.) Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

Mother of the Bride, here is a prayer you can tuck away for the days and months following the Big Day—a prayer for your sweet newlywed couple. Prayer is one priceless yet simple way you can continue to gift your darling daughter and her new husband after they are married. Hope this prayer gives voice to the beat of your heart!

A Gift of Prayer for the Newlyweds

Thank you, Lord, for joining the lives
of this couple so dear to me,
this man, this woman, so deeply in love
pledging themselves to total union.
Lord, give them wisdom to model their love
after your very own,
may love and forgiveness flow without limit,
may kindness be their guide.
Bless them, Lord, beyond their dreams
grant them memories that make them smile,
give them vision to make a difference
to serve loved ones and strangers alike.
Gift them, Father, with many years
living life side by side,
growing even more deeply in love—
this man, this woman, united.

Give the gift of prayer, MOB. It’s a gift that will make a difference.

*If you read this piece publicly or print it out, please give attribution by saying it’s by Cheryl Barker, author of Mother of the Bride. Thanks!

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter which includes a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out the first of the month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

Mother of the Bride, is it time for your daughter to decide where she and her groom-to-be should register for wedding gifts? This can take a little more time and thought that they might originally think so why not encourage them to do this sooner rather than later? If they put it off and end up pressed for time, something that should be fun could turn into a giant headache and even cause some unhappiness between them.

I’ve featured several wedding registries here on my blog over the past couple of years so today here’s a roundup post to help you find them all more easily. The registries I’ve featured are ones that are a little less common so I’ll list links to the more standard registries websites and then will list links to the posts I’ve written for the others.

Have fun sharing the links with your daughter, MOB. She might discover a registry she hadn’t thought of yet!

Mother of the Bride, is your daughter itching to branch out a bit from the most standard registry choices? If so, encourage her to check out what Crate and Barrel has to offer. Even if you don’t have a Crate and Barrel in your city, she and her sweet guy can register online, and of course, guests can shop online as well.

Crate and Barrel carries a wide range of products—everything from kitchen to bath to furniture to décor to even outdoor items and more. And you, MOB, will even have fun perusing their site!

Be sure to have her check outthe registry benefits page. Among other things, the benefits include a set of Crate and Barrel’s best-selling stemless wine glasses in an embroidered linen bag, bonus gifts from more than 14 brands, and a mobile app.

If the happy couple registers for one ofCrate and Barrel’s weekly private registry events, they’ll be eligible for the weekly giveaway drawing as well as the monthly giveaway drawing. They will also be given a goodie bag with free gift. Definitely something to do if at all possible, huh?

MOB, why not share this post with your sweet girl? It might be just the registry she’d love to add to her list of choices!

Cheryl’s Book

For Mothers of the Bride

Mothers of the Bride, don’t miss the blog page designed especially for you.

Cheryl’s Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to my blog and receive notifications of new posts by email:

Meet Cheryl

Faith. Family. Friends. Serving God. All of these things are important to me. Being a writer is one of the ways I live out my faith and serve the One who first loved me. My prayer is that you will be refreshed as you join me on my journey. Read More…